Carbid-feeder for acetylene-generators.



W. J. K. MoLEOD.

GARBID FEEDER FOR AGETYLBNE GENERATORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, W09- Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

THE mmms'rzrzns cl. WASHINGTON. n. c

W. J. K: McLEOD. GARBID FEEDER FOR AOETYLBNE GENERATORS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 27, 1909.

Patented Dec.27, 1910.

Q a E THE Nonms PETERS cn. WASHINGTON, n, c.

llla l lthlll) VJILLIAM JOHN KE'NETI'I IVIG'LEOD, OE BUFFALO, YORK.

CARRIE-FEEDER P6P, ACETYLENE-GENEBATORS.

erases.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W ILLIAM Joint KEN- ETH li lcLnoD, a citizen of the United States, residing Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Carbid Feeders for Acetylene-Gcnerators, of which. the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an acetylene generator of that type in which charges of carbid are intermittently delivered into the water.

The object of this invention is to produce an acetylene generator of this character which is simple and durable in construction, which is not liable to become clogged, which delivers the charges of carbid quickly, which practically cuts off communication between the water tank and the carbid supply bin, so that the stored earbid is not slaked and gas generated in the bin and which permits of feeding various sizes of carbid in measured charges and adjusting the quantity in said charges.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of 2 sheets: Figure l is a side elevation of an acetylene generator provided with my lmproved carbid feeder. B 1g. 2 1s a ring mentary horizontal section of the feeder, on an enlarged scale, in line 22, Fig. Fig. is a vertical cross section thereof in line 3-3, Fig. Fig. 4.- is a. vertical longitudinal section in line -l-%l;, Fig. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the means for permitting operation of the feeder by hand.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the seve al views.

A represents the water tank of the generator, B the carbid supply bin or hopper, (l the water tankof the gas holder. D the ver tically movable bell of the gas holder, and E the pipe whereby the gas is conducted from the generator tank to the holder. All of these parts may be of any suitable and well known construction.

E represents the casing of the feeder which is interposed between the top of the generator water tank and the underside of the bin and forms the passage way, whereby the carbid is conducted from the bin to the generator water tank. Viithin the upper partof this casing is a vertically swinging drum or bucket consisting of two semi-circular disks or heads F, F arranged verti- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 27, 1969.

Patented Dec. 27, 1%10.

Serial No. 486,255.

cally adjacent to the inner sides of the opposite side walls 7, f of the casing and a concentrically curved cut-off or shutter f extending transversely between the lower parts of the heads and connected with the latter in any suitable manner.

T he drum is supported by two horizontal trunnions or shafts H, H which support the opposite heads thereof and turn in stuiiing box bearings it, k on the adjacent side walls of the feeder casing, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The right shaft H is slidable axially or lengthwise in its bearing and an opening in the respective drum head for purposes to be hereinafter described, but the left hand shaft H is secured to the respective drum head. i

Means are provided whereby the drum and connecting parts may either be compelled to turn during the rise and fall of the hell or be operated by hand. The means for this purpose shown in the drawings coniprise a loose arm 72 mounted loosely on the shaft H and connected by a link k with a bracket 71 on the bell, and a catch 7L pivoted on a fixed arin it which is secured to the shaft H and yieldingly held by a spring [b in engagement with a notch or recess [L8 in the hub of he arm if.

The carbid is conducted from the bin to the drum by means of a chute or spout consisting of two side walls G which have their lower edges arranged in line with the heads F and provided with concentrically curved od -es G which fit the peripheries of said heads, a bottom 9 which curves downwardly and rearwardly from the front wall of the casing to the upper edge of the shutter when the latter is in its normal, open or lowered position, and a rear wall g which inclines downwardly and forwardly and terminates in a lower vertical part which is arranged close to the path of the shutter. A practically gas tight join tis produced between the periphery of the drum heads and the side walls of the carbid chute by providing the peripheries of the drum heads with. circumferential ribs i which are preferably V-shaped in cross section or like he edge of a knife, and which engage with grooves 2' in the opposing concentric edges of the chute side walls. These grooves are filled with grease or other plastic packing material past which the ribs 2' slide and whereby the passage of gas through the joints between these parts is prevented.

J represents a supplemental wall extending from the rear wall of the casing forwardly and terminating at its front end adjacent to the upper part of the drum in a rearwardly projecting transverse flange or rib K represents a shelf extending transversely between the heads of the drum at the central parts thereof and having its frontedge arranged adjacent to the upper edge of the shutter. This shelf is preferably pivoted at or near its front edge on the drum, so as to be capable of swinging vertically thereof for adjusting the amount of carbid which is contained in each charge delivered from the supply bin to the generator water tank. The means for adjusting this shelf may be varied but that shown in the drawings consists of an adjusting cross bar Z arranged transversely below the shelf near its pivot, apair of rocking adjusting arms M, M connected at their front ends with opposite ends of the cross bar Z, one of said arms being secured at its rear end to the inner end of the shaft H while the other is provided at its rear end with a pivot pin or stud Z which turns in the inner end of the concentric opening of the left hand drum head which receives the shaft H, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

At its outer end the shaft H is provided with a handle a for manipulating this shaft and adjusting the shelf. The latter is held in its adjusted position by means of a locking pin 71 arranged on the inner side of the right drum head and adapted to be engaged by one or another of a concentric row of openings of in the rear part of the right adjusting arm M The resilience of the arm M tends to hold the same in its outer position in which it engages one of its openings n with the locking pin 1B. When it is desired to shift the position of the shelf relatively to the drum the arm M is disengaged from the pin a by pushing the shaft H inwardly and after the same has been turned to bring the shelf into the required position the shaft H is allowed to retract into its outer position under the action of the arm M thereby causing the latter to engage another one of its openings of with the locking pin a and hold the same in its adjusted position. In order to permit of this lateral movement of the right adjusting arm M for effecting the engagement and disengagement of this arm with the locking pin 1/ the hub part of the arm Ml is dished or recessed, as shown at 0, 2 and The position of the shelf relatively to the reel may be determined from the e);- terior of the generator by the position of the adjusting handle a which serves as a pointer or indicator.

P represents a gate-shaped discharge valve or door having the form of a plate which is normally arranged in an upright position in rear of the drum and in its closed position engages at its lower end with the lower rear edge 2) of the shutter, at its opposite sides with the straight rear edges 7), p of the drum heads and at its upper edge with the rear edge of the transverse rib or flange 7', as shown in Figs. 2 and at. The gate valve is pivotally connected at its upper end with the drum so as to turn vertically relatively thereto, this pivotal connection consisting preferably of a transverse rod Q passing through the drum heads and ears 9 on the front side of the gate valve. The rear edges of the shutter, drum heads and rib 7' are preferably made in the form of a knife edge and engage with a packing '1 of babbitt seated in dove tail grooves r 1*, r in the lower, upper and side edges of the all cally gas tight joints between the parts at these places.

The gate valve is yieldingly held in its closed position by means of a vertically movable weight S guided in a pocket to in the rear part of the casing and having hangers 10 on its underside which are connected at their lower ends by links L02 with the lower part of the rear side of the gate valves. The pivot of the latter is arranged below the upper edge thereof, as shown in Fig. 4e.

The operation of the feeder is as follows :Assuming that the drum is in its retracted position and that the gate valve is closed. as shown in Fig. at, the carbid runs from the bin to the drum and fills the space of the latter between its heads and the shelf and gate valve. When the pressure of the gas drops below normal and the bell descends, this movement causes the drum and connecting parts to be turned downwardly. During this movement of these parts the gate valve is held closed by the weight S pressing against the same. These parts turn together in this direction until the upper edge of the gate valve strikes the hangers 10 of the weight when this end of the gate is prevented from partaking in the continued movement of the drum in this direction, whereby the gate valve is caused to swing downwardly with its lower part away from the shelf and drum heads, thereby permitting the charge of carhid in the drum to drop into the water of the generator tank below the same and cause a resumption in the generation of gas. As the gas pressure rises to the normal and the bell ascends, the drum is returned to its normal receiving position and the weight S automatically closes the gate valve. During the forward or feeding movement of the valve and drum, the shutter rises and closes the throat or outlet at .the lower end of the carbid supply chute,

te, respectively, thereby forming practithereby holding back the main supply of carbid and permitting only the measured charge in the drum or bucket to pass into the generating water. As the drum or bucket returns to its receiving position, the shutter uncovers the throat of the carbid chute permitting another batch of carbid to pass from the bin to the drum. WVhen comparatively fine carbid is being fed the shelf is so adjusted that it is arranged substantially radially relatively to the drum and horizontally in the normal rearward position of the drum, whereby the rear edge of the shelf is engaged at its rear edge by the front side of the gate valve and forms a tight closure therewith, as shown in Fig. 4. When feeding coarse carbid, the shelf may be lowered relatively to the axis of the drum to suit the size of the carbid used or the quality of the carbid, or to adapt the charge to the capacity of the holder which is used in connection with the gas generator.

In starting the generator, the catch if is disengaged from the arm if and the arm h is turned once forwardly and backwardly by hand independently of the arm 71- and then the catch is reengaged with the last mentioned arm. By this means a charge of carbid is fed to the water for starting the generation of gas and thereafter the feeding of carbid is effected automatically.

I claim as my invention:

1. A carbid feeder for acetylene generators comprising a casing, a vertically swinging drum arranged in said casing and having two semicircular heads, a carbid supply chute having side walls which have curved edges facing the periphery of the heads, and means for producing a practically gas tight joint between the edges of said heads and the edges of said side walls comprising circumferential knife edge ribs arranged on the heads and engaging with grooves in the curved edges of said side walls which are adapted to contain a plastic filling or packing.

2. A carbid feeder for acetylene generators comprising a casing, a vertically swinging drum arranged in the casing, a carbid supply chute having its outlet arranged adjacent to the drum, a shelf extending across the space within the drum and pivoted thereto at its front end so as to be capable of turning vertically relatively to the drum, and means for adjusting the shelf comprising a cross bar arranged below the shelf, rock arms carrying said bar and pivoted concentrically on the drum, a shaft movable axially relatively to the drum and connected with one of said arms, and a locking pin arranged on the drum and adapted to engage with one or another of a concentric row of openings in the arm which is connected with said shaft.

3. A carbid feeder for acetylene generators comprising a casing, a vertically swinging drum arranged in the casing and having two semi-circular heads and a shutter connecting the lower parts of the heads, and a gate valve diametrically pivoted on the drum and adapted to swing laterally and to engage with the rear edges of the heads and shutter.

4. A carbid feeder for acetylene generators comprising a casing, a vertically swinging drum arranged in the casing and having two semi-circular heads and a shutter connecting the lower parts of the heads, a wall arranged above the drum and having a transverse flange, and a vertically swinging gate valve pivoted on the drum and adapted when closed to engage with the rear edges of said heads, shutter and flange.

5. A carbid feeder for acetylene generators comprising a casing, a vertically swinging drum arranged in the casing and having two semi-circular heads and a shutter connecting the lower parts of the heads, a wall arranged above the drum and having a transverse flange, a vertically swinging gate valve pivoted on the drum and adapted when closed to engage with the rear edges of said heads, shutter and flange, and means for producing a practically gas tight joint between the valve and the rear edges of said heads, shutter and flange.

6. A carbid feeder for acetylene generators comprising a casing, a vertically swinging drum arranged in the casing and having two semi-circular heads and a shutter connecting the lower parts of the heads, a wall arranged above the drum and having a transverse flange, a 'ertically swinging gate valve pivoted on the drum and provided on the marginal parts of its front side with grooves containing packing which is adapted in the closed position of the valve to be engaged by knife edge ribs formed on the rear edges of said heads, shutter and flange.

7. A carbid feeder for acetylene generators comprising a casing, a vertically swinging drum arranged in the casing and having a front inlet and a rear outlet, a vertically swinging valve pivoted near its upper end to the upper part of the drum at the outlet thereof, and means for yieldingly holding the valve in its closed position comprising a vertically slidable weight, and a link connecting said weight with the valve below the pivot of the latter.

itness my hand this 2am day of March, 1909.

WILLIAM JOHN KENETH MCLEOD.

Witnesses THEO. L. Porr, ANNA Hnrcrs. 

